The Latest News

Stay up to date with the latest news & information from NYSUT Member Benefits! We encourage you to check out this section on a regular basis as we will be continually updating it.

If you have any questions about a news item that appears in this section, feel free to contact Member Benefits at 800-626-8101 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST) or email us at benefits@nysutmail.org.

In our ongoing efforts to assist NYSUT members with making informed financial decisions, NYSUT Member Benefits has teamed up with Kiplinger’s Personal Finance to create a new publication titled 15 Things NYSUT Members Need to Know about the New Tax Law.

This guide is designed to explain the changes brought about from the new federal tax law as well as how they may affect you and your family.

NYSUT local leaders can contact Member Benefits at 800-626-8101 to request copies for their local.

Member Benefits also offers you access at no charge to an online Financial Planning Center.Choose from more than 100 modules on different financial topics along with a financial wellness check-up so you can see where you stand in regards to your savings and retirement.

And if you're looking for unbiased, objective advice specifically designed for you and your family, we encourage you to consider the Member Benefits Corporation-endorsed Financial Counseling Program.

Stacey Braun Associates, Inc. -- the program provider -- understands the unique benefits and retirement options of NYSUT members and can work with you to address your specific financial needs.

Your NYSUT membership allows you to participate (for an annual fee) in a program designed to address your financial concerns and develop a plan to help meet your specific financial goals; more importantly, these planners do not sell any commissionable products.

There are two types of services available: the Full-Service Program and the 403(b) Advisor Option.

The NYSUT Member Benefits Corporation-endorsed TripBeat by Endless Vacation program has announced that NYSUT members and their families can take part in two special promotions:

1. The TripBeat "Ready, Set, Explore! Dream Vacation Sweepstakes" will run for the entire year through January 31, 2019; one lucky Grand Prize winner will land themselves a seven-night resort stay valued at up to $1,000 along with a $2,500 pre-paid gift card!

NYSUT members who sign up for this sweepstakes will also be eligible to win a variety of great monthly prizes.

Click here to enter this new sweepstakes giveaway; you can enter to win with no obligation.

2. NYSUT members can save an additional $100 off seven-night stays if they book between May 15, 2018 and May 23, 2018, and travel by November 4, 2018.

NYSUT members and their families enjoy savings of up to 40% off the "Best Available Rate" at more than 2,400 resort condo properties in 90 countries with TripBeat by Endless Vacation.

Seven-night vacation rentals with TripBeat start at only $399 (just $57 per night). These low prices are for the entire resort suite or condo rental -- not per person! It's an unbeatable value considering that many of these accommodations include the option of fully-equipped kitchens, living/dining areas, multiple bedrooms or bathrooms, balconies and much more.

Get Started on Your Next Trip Now!Click here to visit the TripBeat by Endless Vacation website.

Or call toll-free 844-367-6433 (mention that you are a NYSUT member when calling to enjoy these exclusive rates).

The Spring 2018 issue of our Member Benefits E-Direct electronic newsletter is now available for all NYSUT members and their families to view.

The increase in the average lifespan of humans has created some significant challenges, including millions of Americans attempting to balance work responsibilities while raising their children AND providing care to aging loved ones increasingly dealing with chronic illnesses or disabilities. The feature story of the Spring 2018 issue of Member Benefits E-Direct examines this topic in depth.

This issue also includes a variety of helpful financial articles along with information about our newest endorsed program.

NYSUT Member Benefits endorses Euclid/Hudson as the carrier for its Fiduciary Liability Insurance Plan. Premiums for the coverage are $600 per year for a $500,000 policy limit or $1,050 per year for a $1 million policy limit.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact Michael Ostrander in NYSUT Member Benefits at 800-626-8101, ext. 1231 or mostrand@nysutmail.org.

You can also click here for more information about this important insurance protection.

The 2018 NYSUT Member Benefits Conference is scheduled to take place on October 26 & 27, 2018 at The Desmond Hotel & Conference Center in Colonie, NY.

Member Benefits offers this conference every two years for local leaders, benefit fund trustees & administrators, bargaining team representatives, and those individuals interested in benefits and/or benefit funds. The conference provides numerous educational sessions along with a variety of networking opportunities for attendees.

The Member Benefits Conference generally includes session topics such as the following:

As a NYSUT member, you are eligible to receive advice from a certified financial planner who accepts designation as a fiduciary (a legal obligation putting your best interests above their own) through the NYSUT Member Benefits Corporation-endorsed Financial Counseling Program.

You may not realize that a ruling made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on March 15, 2018 removes the obligation that many financial or retirement advisors act as a fiduciary. Unfortunately, this ruling represented a return to the status quo that had existed prior to the 2016 Fiduciary Rule, which was instituted by the U.S. Department of Labor under the Obama administration.

That rule required that advice given by advisors to individuals in ERISA-covered retirement plans meet a higher standard known as the fiduciary standard (putting the client's best interests first) as opposed to just being suitable. While this rule may not be applied to the 403(b) accounts in the K-12 arena, there had been hope that many financial institutions would be changing their business practices to adhere to this rule for all clients. Now, that may not be the case.

However, your NYSUT membership allows you to participate (for an annual fee) in a program designed to address your financial concerns and develop a plan to help you meet your specific financial goals; more importantly, these planners do not sell any commissionable products. There are two types of services available: the Full-Service Program and the 403(b) Advisor Option.

It's often said that the eyes are the window to the soul... but eye care professionals would say your eyes are a window to your overall health. An eye doctor can tell a lot about the health of your body from looking in your eyes and can even see signs of a number of serious health issues.

Americans are more likely to see their eye care professional for an eye exam than their general healthcare provider for a physical, so eye doctors may be the first health professional to detect several serious conditions.

Early disease detection through an eye exam can lead to prevention or earlier treatment to help reduce medical costs and productivity loss down the road.

The following are three major health issues that can be detected by an eye exam:

#1: Pre-Diabetes – According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 86 million people in the United States who have pre-diabetes. This condition occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to for a diabetes diagnosis. The good news is that people with pre-diabetes can take steps to prevent type 2 diabetes. Since blurred vision is one of the first signs of diabetes, your eye doctor may be the first health professional to see you while you’re still in the “pre-diabetic” state.

#2: Undiagnosed Diabetes – Of the 29.1 million people in the U.S. with diabetes, 27.8 percent are undiagnosed, according to the CDC. Diabetes is a serious disease that occurs when your body cannot produce enough insulin – resulting in high levels of glucose in the blood. People who are diagnosed can more easily get their diabetes under control and save money on medical expenses. Those individuals with this disease should see their eye doctor regularly to keep tabs on eye health issues that can be caused or worsened by the disease, including diabetic retinopathy and cataracts.

Better managing diabetes can lower healthcare costs by a minimum of $804 per person per year, according to a study published in the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy. In addition, better managing the disease can help employees avoid extreme productivity issues that could lead to job loss -- thereby avoiding the cost of unemployment associated with the disease.

#3: Undiagnosed High Blood Pressure – Approximately one in five people with high blood pressure don’t even know they have it. Without intervention, high blood pressure – also known as hypertension -- can have a serious impact on many areas of the body and can lead to hefty medical costs. Hypertension (with its complications of stroke and heart attack) accounts for Americans losing 52 million workdays each year, according to the National Hypertension Association. Among its effects on the eye, hypertension can lead to bleeding, blurred vision, hypertensive retinopathy and even blindness.

NYSUT Member Benefits endorses a quality voluntary Vision Plan that provides a complete eye exam and one pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses per benefit period. To learn more about eligibility, view frames, find participating providers and more, click here or call 800-626-8101.

Special thanks to Davis Vision for providing the content for this article.